I steeped this tea for 4 minutes at 175 degrees with one bag in about one cup of water.

The packet says to steep for 4-6 minutes but it smells plenty strong enough at 4 so I stopped there. Plus, since mint can get bitter if oversteeped, I didn’t want to wait too long.

It smells nice and minty while brewing. I can’t really distinguish it from plain peppermint tea by the smell. After steeping is over, the tea is a yellowish cedar-like color and not noticeably viscous.

First sip: Surprise! It tastes just like mint herbal tea–to me, anyway. Or at least not different enough that you would be positive there’s something else in there rather than just a variation on the minty flavor. (Maybe if I had prepared a cup of plain mint tea at the same time to compare against, that would have helped me pick out any differences, but alas–I didn’t think of that until it was too late.)

What that means is that this could be a clever way to have something caffeinated in the morning if you’re an herbal tea drinker and don’t care for green or black tea or coffee! Or if you only drink black tea with milk (like me) and are avoiding milk because you have a cold, but still need that caffeine boost. (I know that sounds oddly specific but it happens to me more often than you’d think!)

The mate isn’t roasted, I’m guessing, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t have a strong enough flavor to dominate this tea blend (after all, peppermint is a very powerful flavor and it’s hard to overcome that). So if you like peppermint tea, you’ll probably like this!

With sugar: It’s still good and minty, nice and easy on the throat (which means that it’s both good for colds and for vocal health if you’re trying to relax your voice and stay hydrated, although I guess caffeine is a little bit controversial where vocal health is concerned).

Overall this blend is both useful and enjoyable when prepared as a hot tea beverage, and it seems to have plenty of potential as a cold brew as well, although I didn’t try it that way.

Hi! My name is Tabitha and I'm an uprooted PNW native living in the South with my husband and my cocker spaniel.
My favorite teas are usually dark and strong and go well with milk and sugar. I like to combine tea-drinking with all of my favorite activities, such as listening to music, reading YA fiction, knitting, and writing blog and website content for businesses. Because I'm a well-rounded person, I also have other interests, such as wearing mismatched socks and pretending to be ambidextrous.

I first had this at a child’s birthday party and totally wasn’t paying attention. I was like “I’m gonna TAKE NOTES in my SKETCHBOOK and write an ELOQUENT POST UPON MY RETURN.” But then I got sucked into pizza! cake! balloons! reading children’s books aloud! putting outfits on toys! The only thing I vaguely remembered was the thought that I wanted MORE HONEY from the tea.

So this time I made it again, carefully, at home, with zero distractions* and a tiny half-spoonful of honey.

*Except for my dog trying to jump on the couch and falling off. I laughed.

This is a really tasty sweet mix. There’s the honey in the tea, plus the honey I added, plus this roasty, mellow, underlying mate.

A good mate is like hardwood floors. They’re a classy base for whatever you’re putting on top. Are you going to get some classic furniture? Some showy furniture? Everything looks good on hardwood floors.

If I were to continue this metaphor (and there’s nothing I love more), the honey in this tea is the big puffy couch with lots of pillows that rests on that floor. It’s straight-up hygge.*

* That’s the Scandanavian word for sitting around drinking tea in a blanket, enjoying the comforts of winter.

So take it easy, Internet. Drink some honey with your honey tea and just devote the afternoon to enjoyment.

"Hey, everybody! I'm Leah, a graphic designer from Pennsylvania, United States. I live with my husband and rescue mutt in a house with colorful walls. I love fonts, colors, animals, flowers, novels, illustration, geeking out, and -- obviously! -- tea. I've only been heavily into tea for about a year, but I've found I tend to prefer loose blended black dessert teas. I normally drink them hot western style without anything added; if I add in some vanilla almond milk or honey, I promise I'll mention it! When I'm not blogging here, I'm blogging at leahlucci.com/starling or posting to Instagram (super_starling), so come say hi!"

Are you ready for a Yerba Mate review? Next up is…Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude! I have to admit that Yerba Mate is down on my list of priorities when consuming and reviewing. It’s not that I don’t like Yerba Mate it’s just that I like so many other teas more regularly and it’s hard to fine interestingly-flavored Yerba Mates that I really want to try!

Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was pretty good but I had to do this one ICED. WHY? You guessed it – because of the Hibiscus! I think this was a little heavy on the Hibiscus and that is coming from someone who isn’t fond of that particular ingredient so you might find it to be fine and dandy!

Having stated my dislike for Hibiscus MANY times I will say that Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was pretty good ICED. I really loved the addition of the orange peel which was probably my favorite part in this. The natural flavor of Yerba Mate was stomped on by the hibiscus and orange peel which was ok especially if you want to consume more Yerba Mate and aren’t specifically looking for the taste of Yerba Mate.

Another thing I really liked about Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was the end sip and aftertaste. It was very pleasant. It was fruity
but didn’t leave a funky aftertaste like some fruity and hibiscus teas and tisanes tend to leave behind.

The energy boost of Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude wasn’t too shabby either. That’s the TRUE reason I do enjoy Yerba Mate when I do consume it. All-in-All I found Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude to be pretty tasty and satisfying

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Yerba Mate

Where to Buy: Tea Dude

Description

Yerba Mate with hibiscus flowers and orange peel added for flavor. Love the health benefits of Yerba Mate, but not the taste? I fixed it for you! Great as a weight loss supplement! Use approximately 1 tsp. per cup.

Co-Founder/Co-Creator of Sororitea Sisters at Sororitea Sisters
Jennifer (TeaEqualsBliss) is in her upper 30s and lives in the eastern snowbelt area of the US with her husband, 3 dogs, and cat (however the number of furkids can change at anytime as she LOVES providing a forever home for many shelter animals. Her several interests include music, movies, veganism, sports, traveling, collecting Baseball Cards and Unicorns, Radio, Computers, Crafting, and of course…TEA. She started drinking tea at the tender age of 3 thanks to her Grandmother and her love for tea has gotten stronger with each year! In addition to being a co-founder/co-creator of Sororitea Sisters - her main site is MyBlissfulJourney.com. Find out more about Jennifer on MyBlissfulJourney.com.

Tea Information:

Tea Description:

A wonderful energetic blend that will keep you awake! Maybe you’ve been traveling the world or just need a little boost to get you through the day. Green Tea, Green Mate, Gynostemma Leaves, Strawberry and Papaya make this blend a get up and go to.

Taster’s Review:

I am such a fan of green tea and green mate. I love how the flavors mix. What is fun with this mix is that there is also a bit of a tropical feel to it with the added strawberries and papaya. This tea had such a nice sweet aroma.

What I always seem to be confused by is what steeping parameters I should use. Green tea and green mate have completely different steeping times. To play it safe- I went with the green tea setting on the Breville One Touch because I wasn’t sure how forgiving the green tea would be if I went with the mate setting I typically use. Poured the sample into the brewing basket and away I went.

My thoughts? I like this blend. It isn’t overpowering and it is very subtle. No one flavor gets in the way or pushes the other around. The green tea has a nice buttery feel that really pairs well with the strawberry and the mate gives a slight roasted flavor that goes well with the papaya. All in all, a nice brew subtle brew. I would love to try this one on ice. With ingredients like strawberry and papaya, I can see this being perfect for these last days of summer!

I am a late 30s something mom who loves her family, will be getting married to a wonderful guy and has 4 kids (2 mine-2 his). We have a beautiful life together and I wouldn't change a thing.
Tea is a passion that quickly turned into an obsession, very similar to my love for polka dots, the horror genre, and anything that is geeky and fun. I drink all kinds of tea and will try a tea twice to make sure I didn't bumble the first infusion.
Besides SororiTea Sisters, I'm also the blogger and genius (I use that word very loosely) behind CuppaGeek, where I review tea, books, and the horror genre.

Tea Information:

Tea Description:

In Argentina and Uruguay, maté is traditionally sipped through a metal straw in a cured gourd. Try that in rush hour traffic! Our interpretation is a blend of roasted maté mixed with rooibos, black pu-erh tea, and a kick of chocolate, lemongrass, cinnamon and ginger. Drink it throughout the day for a chocolaty, spicy pick-me-up.

Taster’s Review:

When this tea first arrived, I was so excited! I have a tea that I love from Adagio Teas that is a version of a Mocha Mate. I can take that tea down in no time flat.

I quickly grabbed this tea and throw it in my Breville One Touch choosing the herbal setting (seeing how their is Mate in it). Poured myself a huge cup of it and sat down to write the review and then it hit me. The smell. The smell of my arch enemy. The smell one of the only teas I have trouble drinking. Yes. This tea had rooibos in it.

Unfortunately for me, I am not a rooibos fan. We each have our own teas that we adore and love and then there are the teas that really aren’t our cuppa. This one falls into the latter category. From the other flavors I was getting when I did try a sip, this tea is phenomenal. The spices and chocolate mix so well together and produce this vibrant and invigorating flavor with a sweet lemon like kick.

But with the rooibos in there, I think I need to find this darling a new home. Rooibos and I just have never gotten along. But from what I tasted, the rest of the tea is amazing. If you like rooibos blends, check this one out. I bet it would be delightful to you!

I am a late 30s something mom who loves her family, will be getting married to a wonderful guy and has 4 kids (2 mine-2 his). We have a beautiful life together and I wouldn't change a thing.
Tea is a passion that quickly turned into an obsession, very similar to my love for polka dots, the horror genre, and anything that is geeky and fun. I drink all kinds of tea and will try a tea twice to make sure I didn't bumble the first infusion.
Besides SororiTea Sisters, I'm also the blogger and genius (I use that word very loosely) behind CuppaGeek, where I review tea, books, and the horror genre.